CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
by AlwaysCastle
Summary: These are fic challenges given by other writers/readers, and that I have obviously accepted. I am open for more!
1. Walking A mile in Castle's Shoes

**Challenge given to me by the lovely kimmiesjoy**

**Its raining they only have one umbrella and Castle tripped her over so she broke her heel. and she's pissed off cos her hair is all fluffy! (from the damp :P )**

******Rated K  
**

**Genre: Humor**

* * *

_**Walking a mile in Castle's shoes **_

"I can't believe this." She grumbles, shaking her wet heels out of the grass and stepping onto the sidewalk.

"Oh come now, Beckett." Castle says merrily beside her, "It's not so bad."

Kate looks up at him, glaring and hugging her arms around herself. "Don't say it could be worse." She warns as they walk along.

He shrugs, swinging a closed umbrella in one hand. "Well it could be." He bumps her shoulder. "And...we got the guy. I mean.. if it wasn't for this umbrella... I think he would have gotten away."

"Doubtful Espo and Ryan _so _had it covered. But Noooo you had to leap out of my car and chase after the guy two miles into the park."

Castle actually skips a little, landing in front of her and walking backwards. "But I got him!"

"Pfft." She lifts her shoulders to her ears against the wind. "Looks like rain..." She mutters glancing up.

Castle bumps her again, eyes smiling, but it takes her off guard and she stumbles into a rivet in the sidewalk.

SNAP

Castle freezes mid swing and turns around stiffly. His mouth agape as his eyes travel from her angry face, down to her foot, to the broken heel. "Oh.. Beckett...Kate I am so-ss-"

"Don't! Say. It!"

"sssorry." Just as he finishes, the sky opens up, and rain beats down on them.

Kate sighs, as her hair frizzes out and then starts to drip. she takes a hand full of it, pouting at how ruined it will be now, and then looks down at her broken heel. They are one of her favorite pairs...

She hears the sound of the umbrella, the deafening downpour around them, and then suddenly his body is close to hers.

"At least I have this?" He says sheepishly.

"Yea." She says unhappily as she finally limps out of the divot in the sidewalk.

Silence between them.. aside from the showering rain and the awkward click of one heel. Castle walks along beside her, lips taut as she seemingly forges on lopsided. A situation like this would normally make him laugh, but with her so rigid and obviously cold, he forgoes the laughing.

"Kate." He says after a little while, catching her elbow. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm fine." she says through her teeth, hugging her arms around herself and limping on.

"No you're not... " He keeps hold of her elbow, stopping in the middle of the park. "we still have a mile to go..." She stumbles back as he anchors her down and shoots him a glare. "At least take the heels off."

"Castle it's cold."

"Then wear my shoes."

She laughs. "I'm not wearing your shoes." She shakes her head.

He thrusts the umbrella handle at her, which she takes and then bends down, untying his shoes. "Yes you are."

She bites her lip, smiling even though she's rebelling against him, watching as the rain pelts his backside. "Don't tell me what to do."

He pops back up, holding his shoes out to her with one hand, and shoving his socks into his pocket. "Not so cold" He says even as his teeth chatter.

Kate looks down at his feet. "You are _too_cold."

He wiggles his toes. "Nope." He takes the umbrella. "Now put em on."

"Castle."

He gives her a look. A look so damn adorable she can't say no especially because he's being so sweet.

She sighs, bending down and putting them on. "Geez Castle how big are your feet?"

"You know what they say about feet..." He grins.

Kate looks up at him pointedly.

"Hey, don't mock the giver."

She ties them, super tight and then stands up straight. "They are..."

"Walk around, see how you like them."

"This isn't a shoe store Castle."

"Humor me..."

Another sigh followed by an eye roll. Kate lifts one foot, and flops it back down on the wet pavement. they are a bit heavy for her little feet but she appeases him and takes a few steps forward.

"See!" He exclaims all proud of himself.

"Yes, Castle. Thank you.. now lets go."

He nods, smiling widely and they continue on, her feet now clad in his shoes thumping loudly. With every step her face grows red, and her lip falls into her mouth to worry between her teeth. She looks up at him then, seeing the happiness on his face an loops his arm with his. He peers over at her as she bumps his hip, and Kate stops, going up on her tiptoes and pecking him quickly on the lips.

"Thank you, you're really sweet." She says still close to his lips. "But if you tell anyone.. remember I carry a gun."


	2. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

**Challenge given to me by kimmiesjoy**

**They are on opposite sides of the room but they can't get to each other, unable to move towards each other (they must remain divided) and confined ish (they can't be tied up. No cuffs no rope or hand ties, no duct tape) for a while the only way they can communicate is with eye contact there must be a reason why they can't communicate... They have to be alone. No touching. It can't be a dream or a coma.**

**Rated K+  
**

**Genre: Humor/Romance  
**

* * *

**Between a rock and a hard place **

"Tell me again why we are doing this?" Castle's whiny voice comes from the opposite side of the room.

Kate sighs, leaning back against the wall and wincing a little. "How about you tell me. ." She replies pushing forward. "You dragged me here.. I was content spending a weekend alone."

"Yes but..."

"Yes I know 'who's gonna play with me?'" She mimics his earlier complaint the day before. They were getting into the elevator and each to their own homes at the end of the day when he started in on Alexis going off to school, and this would be his first full weekend with no one to 'play with.' _And_he had looked at her with those eyes of his and she caved immediately.

He grins, resting his hip on the chair. "And you are just the best!" His eyes wrinkle adorably at the corners.

"Need I remind you that this is not 'playing." The moment she says it she regrets it...sort of.

His mouth draws up in that devious way of his. "We can always play later..."

"Castle focus."

"I am focusing."

"I mean on the furniture."

"Oh.. believe me I am.."

"O-kay!" She says, tossing her hands into the air and staring at him and the expanse of furniture between them. "Seeing as.. well.. I am stuck here, and you are stuck there.. and your laser tag is over there." She points in some random direction she thought she saw them when she got here. "And! You seem to think this new furniture was a good idea to put here even though you didn't move your old stuff out first!"

"Do you have a point?"

She laughs, "Seriously?"

He Shrugs.

"I have a game."

"OH! What is it? Can we pretend the floor is lava?" He jumps up and down and claps his hands together once before her glare settles him. "Or..not."

"No, The silent game." She nods her head like it's the best thing in the world when she really just needs some quiet to figure this out.

"Game on!"

She purses her lips and folds her arms as he stands there.

He looks around wildly for a moment and then opens his mouth. "pause?"

She rolls her eyes. "What, Castle?"

"Well I think we should think of a strategy first."

"It's the silent game.. you just.. shut your mouth."

"No not that! This!" He opens his arms to the room full of chairs and couches. "You know it reminds me of that computer game... with the cars parked in a square and you have to rearrange them so you can pull your car out." His brow creases in puzzlement..

She mimics the look, bringing a hand up to her mouth and tapping her finger on her lips. Just as she opens her mouth the speak he yells across the room.

"GAME ON!'

Kate huffs, her mouth closes and she fixes him with the worst death glare of her life. He just smiles and starts to push at the overstuffed chair in front of him. When it falls into a loveseat he stands up straight and surveys the room again. Kate just watches, finding it interesting how his face molds in intricate ways as he ponders deeply. When he looks up at her, catching her in the act, she both understands how creepy that is, but also curious.

He waggles his eyebrows at her, his blues deep and playful, and she softens. She's stuck here.. and being with him is not bad.. at all. In fact.. if there wasn't all this furniture between them she might just-

"Oomph." Her ass hits the back wall and she falls over the back of the couch. Kate pushes herself up, both hands sinking into the cushions and flips her head back, blowing her hair out of her face. When she meets the eyes of Castle, she half expects his eyes to be laughing at her, but instead she sees concern, his leg partially over the loveseat as if he was about to come to her aid.

Kate sits back, squeezing in between his old couch, and his new chair and looks up at him. He's settled a little, but his eyes are now crinkled deeper, the only time he does that is when she is in danger. Although, it's just a couch, and she's fine. So she brushes herself off, and tilts her head to one side and shrugs her shoulders.

She's okay. She seems to tell him. He nods, the smile returning to his eyes before he then jerks his head to the left towards a chair. Kate's looks over and then back at him as he eyes a chair right next to her, and then back again to the left.

She nods her head, bringing her lip into her mouth, looking between the two things until she sees what he sees. She nods again, and then climbs over the back of the chair, her back to him for a moment before she braces herself, back to it and pushes it as far to the right as possible. When it wont budge any further, she stands turning back around to face him looks to see his mouth slightly agape. Another eye roll from her as she inwardly appraises her jeans choice, and then snaps her fingers at him to get his attention.

He shakes his head, and gives her that grin like, yea he was checking out her ass, and yea.. he doesn't care that she knows. She snaps her fingers again and taps her bare foot on the floor.

'Right, couch.' He mouths and then squeezes his way through the maze to the left, and then forces the coffee table in the same direction as her chair.

He fist pumps the air when that leaves the perfect amount of space for him to push his new couch into place. When he looks up Kate is covering her mouth from grinning, but he can see that look in her eyes. The one he almost always misses.. but when he does catch it.. it makes him want to cross the room in one bound and take her into his arms.. which he tries to do before colliding with his old couch.

He hears a slap, and peers up to see she's clapped both hands over her mouth, her body tilted forwards as she tries to hold in her laughter. Castle bobs his head up and down and side to side as if to say 'haha very funny.' And then rubs at his leg faking hurt.

She drops her hands, placing one on her hip and pointing at him. She then raises an eyebrow while gesturing up and down with a head tilt to say he's going to survive.

"Can I say something?" He asks into the silence.

She startles a little having become accustomed to the quiet. "You can, but then you would lose."

"Off the record."

"I don't think it works like that, Castle."

"Just this once?"

"Plan on forcing me to move your furniture again?"

He sighs. "I'm being serious."

Her heart pangs. Panicking now... what could he possibly have to say? Anything would be out of nowhere.. but he looks so serious, and the way he was staring at her earlier like he wanted to bound over all this stuff to get to her..."Okay." She says evenly.

"Does this couch, make my apartment look big?"

Kate laughs, so hard that she falls back onto the floor. "It's not even that funny!" She shrieks gasping for air.

"Then why are you laughing?" He asks, that twinkle in his eyes.

She gathers herself, slinging an arm over the armrest and hoists herself up. "I don't know.. I thought.. never mind."

"I know, Kate."

"Know what?"

"I just know."

"You couldn't possibly know what I was thinking."

"Yes I could, I'm a Jedi like that."

"Then use the force to get all this old furniture out of your apartment."

"The force is not strong with this one.." He says bowing his head.

"I can see that." After a short silence of just staring at each other across the room, Kate thumps her hand on the wall and sighs. "Okay what was I thinking?"

He perks up, and then fakes deep pondering. "You were...thinking about how there isn't a tiger in the room."

Her mouth falls open. 'You got me Castle." She replies as honestly as she can.

"Um.. what?" He stammers.

"That is _exactly _what I was thinking.. but it's a shame though..." She makes a tsk sound beating her fingers on the chair.

"Wha.. no.. What is?"

"All this furniture is in the way."

"WELL LETS GET IT OUT OF HERE!" He shouts pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Kate starts laughing and vaguely hears him asking for a movers service.


	3. Free Like You Make Me

**Paired Challenge with kimmiesjoy**

**Pick a song for each other. It **_**can't **_**be a song fic. Just listen to the song, and write what comes to you. **_**Do not **_**put the lyrics in the fic unless it's a **_**thought or being spoken.**_** Not as an actual lyric. **

**Disclaimer: **I own neither the show Castle or the song that inspired this fic. But I would like to thank kimmie for making me a stronger writer.. and for ALL THE SONGS!**  
**

**Song given to me:** _Cary Brothers - "Free Like You Make Me"_

**__Rated T**

**Genre: Romance**

* * *

_**Free Like You Make Me**_

In the silence of his loft, she takes his face in her hands, and dives in. There is only the feel of his warm mouth on hers, the smoothing of his hands wrapping around her and pulling her in.

They both know why she's here, they know what's coming, and the wait needs to be over.

He lets her take his face in her hands, sliding them past his ears and he moans. Her kisses are soft, and yet needy. Her passion found in the grip she has at the back of his neck, the curl of her fingers in his hair. He meets her with equal measure, pressing his body to hers and opening his mouth to her enticing hums of pleasure.

And when they can no longer seem to breath, they pull back ever so slightly at the same time, and her head falls to his collar bone. He holds her, feeling her chest heaving against his, the quiver of her skin. But her even breaths tell him that she's okay. More than okay.

He lifts her chin, finger curled beneath and rises her gaze to meet his. As his eyes stare into hers, his thumb tracing her swollen lips, he says nothing. For his eyes tell her that he would take her place, bare the weight of the world on his shoulders, take her pain away.

She lets a smile break across her face, small as her eyes dart between each of his, and then she shakes her head slightly.

She doesn't need him to do any of those things... just forgive her for the wait, the healing that has kept them apart for so long. And being here now with him, his hands spread across her back, she's no longer defiant.

Kate shivers, pressed against his body, her clothes clinging to her skin. He looks down, taking in her appearance, soaked through, and when she kisses him again, moving his hands up her body to the wet zipper of her jacket, he needs no other convincing.

Her saturated clothes are peeled off her body. Slow and languid as their lips meet again and again, the loft filling with need and panting breaths.

It'll be okay he seems to say, one hand cupped in her hair as he opens his mouth to her. Their tongues meet, soothing along one another and for once in her life, she feel as if tonight is the moment where he can truly break down her wall.

And when they become two hearts, one soul, their gasps mingle, breathing the life once lost, back into each other. With fingertips at every rib, It's the slide of his hands, the caress of his breath, hot and tangible across her skin. It's his lips at every inch of her flesh, and the movement of his body, in tune with the beating of both their hearts.

It's freedom.

Even if it all ends tomorrow, or the next day, for they know what's coming, they make each other free. Not even the secrets can contain this hope, this love for each other. And now, as she moans his name into the silence of the room, clutching at his shoulders and pressing her lips to his, Kate Beckett has never felt more safe.

As his hips sink to meet hers, his blue eyes piercing and locked with her green...it doesn't matter how she got here. It's not the catalyst that finally brought them together, but the means to an end. The end of one chapter, and the beginning of an entirely new one. It doesn't matter how it started, but how they begin anew.

The ebb and flow of the moment brings them over the edge. They no longer stand looking over the precipice, but dive over it together knowing that they will be right there next to each other.

_Always_.

It's a free fall, into the noise void of sirens, and the violence. Just the rain beating down against the window, and the pleasurable sighs as they wrap themselves around each other. She doesn't feel the rain rushing over her skin, anymore. Only the euphoria of his hands, his lips, the way he moves with her.

He whispers her name into the darkness, brushing her hair softly from her face. She sighs, melting into his touch, and kisses his palm. Everything she's done leading up till this moment, she's done for him. Her badge, her gun, no longer protect her from what's to come. But laying here with him, she realizes that those things only held her back from this.

This is what she has been missing. She's been hiding behind what she thought she was supposed to be... and now, with the blinders locked away, no longer a crutch to keep her standing, she's gladly fallen into him.

"You make me free." She whispers back, tracing the line of his jaw. "And I love you for it." She presses a kiss there, feeling him breath out in relief, or rapture she's not sure.

But when he smiles against her lips, and turns over, he looks down at the sight before him. Her sated, naked form wrapped in his sheets. "Always." Is his answer as he moves down to her lips, capturing them as her legs wrap around him, and pull them flush against each other.

They both moan as he rises, gasping into open mouths. And as they meet again, they stare into each other, seeing a whole new story beginning.

Outside the sanctuary of his loft, the City of New York rests for this one night only. Allowing these two people to start their next chapter unheeded and safe in each others arms.


End file.
